The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department spent on contracts for consultancy groups on the Bost Agri-Business Park and Airfield projects in Afghanistan in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013.
Justine Greening
I refer the Hon. member to the answer that I gave to him on 5 March 2013, Official Report, Col 967 – 968W.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether it is her Department’s policy to send only departmental development experts to oversee development projects overseas.
Justine Greening
DFID sends a variety of developmental experts to oversee projects overseas.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what criteria her Department uses for decisions on contracts to consultancy groups on development projects.
Justine Greening
Procurement tendering processes conducted by my department are completed in accordance with EU directives. Contracts are awarded following a competitive tendering process. Invitations to tender are specific to the nature of the intervention required.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many consultancy groups currently have global contracts with her Department as development implementers.
Justine Greening
Procurement tendering processes conducted by my department are completed in accordance with EU directives. Contracts are awarded following a competitive tendering process. Invitations to tender are specific to the nature of the intervention required.
DFID has no contracts providing global services.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will amend the access to work scheme to enable deaf people to employ a full-time salaried support worker.
Mike Penning
The Access to Work programme currently allows for support to be organised in this way if it offers the most cost effective and practical solution and there is clear customer need for that level of support. We are taking a close look at the Access to Work programme over the next three months, focussing on how we can assist the largest number of disabled paople in work. We will incude in that process a consideration of how best to address the needs of customers requiring support for a large number of hours each week on an on-going basis.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the evidential basis was for the decision to change the Access to Work scheme in regards to deaf people having to employ a full-time salaried support worker.
Mike Penning
The Access to Work programme has not been changed in this way. No customers are required to employ a full-time support worker, their employers and support providers and we are not prescriptive on this.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish his Department’s assessment of lessons learned from the recent Libyan campaign.
Mr Mark Francois
The Department has a very thorough lessons learned process which is normally applied when an operation is initiated. However, due to operational security sensitivities we do not, as a matter of course, publish the findings of such processes. We have no plans to publish any lessons learned from Op Ellamy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the through life cost is for each of the 14 Voyager aircraft.
Mr Philip Dunne
We do not possess through life cost information for individual aircraft in the Voyager fleet. Under the Voyager PFI solution the MoD is not buying aircraft but a 27 year integrated Air Transport and Air to Air Refuelling service which is underpinned by the provision of 14 aircraft, the infrastructure, personnel, training and training school (including a full mission simulator), aircraft maintenance and engineering, spares, despatch and ground support. The outturn value of the contract is £10.5 billion over 27 years, excluding fuel and other associated usage costs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what contracts are outstanding in the Astute programme.
Mr Philip Dunne
The following table describes the current Ministry of Defence contracts solely for the Astute class submarine programme. All contracts, except serial 9, are with BAE Systems Marine Ltd. Once in service, platforms, including the Astute class, are supported via extant Fleet wide arrangements.
Serial Contract Description
1 Batch 1 The build of Astute boats 1-3.
2 Boat 4 The build of Astute boat 4.
3 Boat 5 The provision of long-lead materials and activities to support the build of Astute boat 5.
4 Boat 6 The provision of long-lead materials and activities to support the build of Astute boat 6.
5 Boat 7 The provision of long-lead materials and activities to support the build of Astute boat 7.
6 Base Spares To provide the initial spares provisioning for Astute boats leaving Barrow.
7 Foundation Placed to deliver the savings required by the 2010 SDSR through performance improvement and cost-benefit initiatives. To note that this contract impacts on both the Astute and Successor programmes.
8 Submarine Design Services The provision of In Service technical assistance.
9 Astute Class Training Service A PFI contract for the provision of Astute class crew training. The contract is placed with FAST Training Services Ltd (a consortium of BAE Systems, L-3 Communications and Babcock International).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he obtained clearance from the European Commission for his Department to retain a golden share in each Community Rehabilitation Company.
Jeremy Wright
On 19 September last year the Government launched the competition to find the future owners of the Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) who will deliver rehabilitation services in England and Wales. The European Commission does not operate a process whereby Member States are required to seek clearance in order to retain Special Shares in a company, and instead the onus is on individual States to ensure they are operating in accordance with the law. The Department is satisfied that it is in full compliance with European law on retaining a Special Share within each of the new CRCs. The Transforming Rehabilitation competition will continue through 2014 with contracts being awarded and mobilised by 2015.